FWF ESPRIT Postdoc fellowship for Virginia Busetto
Virginia Busetto, postdoctoral researcher in the Falk lab, has been awarded the ESPRIT fellowship from the Austrian Science Fund (FWF). The ESPRIT fellowship supports early-career researchers in developing scientific independence, providing a foundation for leading their own research groups in the future.
This is not a phosphatase
Phosphorylation serves as a key on-and-off switch in cell signaling, such as in the Akt pathway, which regulates cell growth and is often upregulated in cancer. Master students Tarik Husremović and Vanessa Meier from the Leonard lab now reveal, in a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), that the phosphatases PHLPP1 and PHLPP2 – previously believed to dephosphorylate Akt and suppress tumor growth – are neither phosphatases nor tumor suppressors. Although catalytically dead, the authors found that PHLPP is actually descended from an ancient phosphatase. These findings suggest that PHLPP plays a non-catalytic role within an old but conserved biological process.
FWF Principal Investigator Project grant for Martin Leeb
Perutz group leader Martin Leeb receives funding from the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) for his Principal Investigator Project ‘Functional Gene Networks in Naïve and Formative Pluripotency‘. The total funding volume is more than €650,000 for the next four years.
Emmanuelle Charpentier awarded Honorary Doctorate by the University of Vienna
Nobel Laureate and former Perutz faculty member, Emmanuelle Charpentier, has received an honorary doctorate from the University of Vienna in recognition of her groundbreaking contributions to CRISPR gene editing, as well as her longstanding connections to Vienna’s research community.
Location, location, location
The formation of euchromatin and heterochromatin divides the cell’s nucleus into regions of active and inactive genes. However, intriguingly, some active genes are located within heterochromatic regions at the nuclear periphery. In a new study published in Nature Communications, the Foisner lab reveals how these genes are anchored to the nuclear lamina. Their research uncovers a novel tethering mechanism, whereby proteins bind to enhancer-type cis-regulatory elements rather than directly to the genes they regulate.
Sarah Schweighofer receives Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoc fellowship
Congratulations to Sarah Schweighofer, who will join the Ries lab as a postdoctoral researcher this summer, on receiving a prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship. Her project aims to elucidate how mitochondrial fragmentation is regulated during programmed cell death using super-resolution microscopy. This fellowship will support research that could pave the way for innovative therapeutic strategies targeting dysfunctional mitochondrial fission.
Thomas Juffmann is appointed to Full Professor
Thomas Juffmann has been promoted to Full Professor of Quantum Optics and Microscopy. Since 2018, his research group – established as a joint venture between the Faculty of Physics and the Max Perutz Labs – has been developing innovative microscopy techniques. By drawing on insights from quantum metrology and information theory, the lab aims to maximize the information obtained from a finite number of photons or electrons.
John Kendrew Award for Irma Querques
The John Kendrew Young Scientist Award (JKA) recognizes excellence in science and science communication, awarded annually to pre- and postdoctoral fellows from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL). This year, EMBL alumna and Perutz group leader Irma Querques received the award for her outstanding research in genome editing and her dedication to science communication. Named after John Kendrew, who received the 1962 Nobel Prize in Chemistry alongside Max Perutz, the award carries special significance for the Perutz, reflecting a legacy of scientific excellence.
Monoclonal Antibody facility – validated, specific and sensitive detection tools
To support research activities at the Perutz, the institute hosts specialized scientific facilities. Our fourth part of the ‘Scientific Facilities – Behind the Scenes’ series spotlights the Perutz Monoclonal Antibody facility, which offers in-house production of high-quality monoclonal antibodies tailored to the specific needs of both academic and non-academic researchers.
Perutz group leader Sebastian Falk earns tenure
Sebastian Falk, who started his research group at the Max Perutz Labs in 2019, has been promoted to tenured professor. His lab investigates how small RNAs regulate gene expression through the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway, focusing on small RNA biogenesis and their role in transcriptional gene silencing in the nucleus.
Taming inflammation by licensed elimination of mRNAs
Inflammation – a physiological and important response to infection – can result in undesirable tissue damage if not carefully controlled. Inflammatory mediators are, therefore, tightly regulated. In a new study published in Molecular Cell, the Kovarik lab reveals a novel mechanism for the targeted elimination of pro-inflammatory pre-mRNAs in the nucleus, which prevents the over-production of cytokines in the cytoplasm. The study is a collaborative effort, involving three Perutz labs and expertise from the Mass Spectrometry facility. It highlights the critical role of mRNA decay in maintaining immune system balance.
Tenure for two Perutz group leaders
Elif Karagöz and Shotaro Otsuka have been promoted to tenured professors. Both group leaders started their labs in 2019, with the Karagöz lab focusing on unraveling how cells maintain protein homeostasis and the Otsuka lab exploring the communication between the endoplasmic reticulum and the nucleus.
office@maxperutzlabs.ac.at
+43 1 4277 240 01
Vienna BioCenter Dr.-Bohr-Gasse 9, 1030 Vienna
This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.
» Privacy Policy